Cebu [Philippines], October 29 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met members of the Indian diaspora during his visit to a Gurudwara and a Hindu temple in Cebu, Philippines, where he offered prayers after concluding his engagements at the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus).
During the visit, members of the Indian community expressed their happiness at meeting the Defence Minister and highlighted the growing recognition of Indians in the Philippines.
Guli Methani, a member of the Indian diaspora who has been living in the Philippines for around 50 years, recalled his contribution to establishing the Cebu Indian Hindu Temple in 1992.
“I have been living in Manila for about 50 years. I arrived from Jaipur at the age of 17. I laid the foundation for the Cebu Indian Hindu Temple back in 1992,” Methani told ANI.
He added that the Punjabi community had grown over the years and expressed satisfaction at the Indian community's increasing recognition in the country.
“Previously, no one really knew us, but over the last 15 years, we have built a strong reputation—even internationally. Locally, too, people didn't always accord us much respect; in fact, we were often looked down upon. But today, the times have changed—everyone speaks well of us, and of our Indian community,” he said.
Gurpreet Singh, another member of the Indian diaspora, said the community was delighted to welcome the Defence Minister to the Gurudwara.
“I have been serving at this holy Gurdwara for over five years. By the grace and blessings of Guru Sahib, our honourable Minister visited us today. We are extremely delighted to meet him. We had very meaningful conversations, and his thoughts were wonderful,” Singh said.
He expressed gratitude for the minister's visit and requested him to return to the holy place during future visits to the country.
The visit followed Singh's participation in the 13th ADMM-Plus, where he highlighted India's commitment to strengthening defence cooperation with ASEAN member states and promoting peace, stability and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific region.
During his address at the meeting, the Defence Minister proposed the establishment of an ‘India-ASEAN Youth Bridge’ to strengthen people-to-people connectivity, digital innovation and capacity building among young people in India and ASEAN countries.
Singh also reiterated India's commitment to regional security and counter-terrorism cooperation, citing Operation Sindoor as an example of India's approach to tackling terrorist infrastructure.